Automatic regulator



Dec. 10, 1963 D. A. BLY 3,1 7

AUTOMATIC REGULATOR I Filed Aug. 5, 1960 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 REGULATION g l v 5 I I l I 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 CORRECTION SET INTO CLOCK-HRS.

Donald A. B1

f% ATTORNEYS Dec. 10, 1963 D. A. 'BLY AUTOMATIC REGULATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5. 1960 val/14% INVENTOR Donald A. B1

V X; flab ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,113,417 AUTOMATIIC REGULATOR Donald A. Bly, Lancaster, Pa, assignor to Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 47,707 Claims. (Cl. 5885.5)

This invention relates to a timepiece with an automatic regulator and more particularly relates to a timepiece so constructed as to automatically accomplish regulation thereof when the hands of the timepiece are set.

Conventional timepieces, such as watches and clocks, are ordinarily provided with a regulator which is accessible either from the inside of the case or from the back of the timepiece so that the timepiece may be regulated to keep accurate time. In certain types of timepieces, however, such as automobile clocks, the mounting of the clock makes it difficult to provide a readily accessible regulator which is not also subject to undesired tampering, such as by children. In solving this difficulty, it has been proposed to provide an automatic regulator which is actuated to cause regulation each time that the hands of the clock are set to correct an inaccurate time indication.

In a certain type of regulator of this nature which has been proposed heretofore it has been suggested that it is essential to proper automatic regulation that some means be provided to insure that the regulation set into the clock in a specified period of time is limited to a predetermined maximum. As one means of approaching accomplishment of this goal, it has been suggested to always vary the regulator by a pre-determined fixed amount each time that the hands of the clock are set. Gne such example of this type regulator is shown in Rabinow Patent No. 2,542,430. Improvement of this type of arrangement has been suggested through the provision of a lock-out device which would prevent reregulation except after the passage of a pre-determined period of time and a mechanism designed to accomplish this is illustrated in LuX Patent No. 2,941,349. Still another approach to the problem has been the suggestion that the regulation injected need not be of a fixed predetermined amount but that some limit means should be provided for limiting the magnitude of change of adjustment for a given change in time indication. Rabinow Patent No. 2,858,029 shows one such arrangement which also embodies a lock-out device for preventing re-regulation during a pre-determined period of time.

As opposed to these prior concepts of a limitation on the maximum regulation which may be injected into the clock in a pre-determined period of time, the present invention utilizes a system which provides for regulation as non-linear function of clock setting. That is to say, there is no limitation on the amount of regulation which can be injected into a clock at a given setting or in a predetermined period of time but the regulation occurs at a non-uniform rate so that regulation is effected at a high rate only during the initial movement of the setting stem and then is effected at a much lower rate or at a zero rate until the setting stem has been twisted a certain predetermined amount. At this time, regulation again occurs at the high rate and the sequence. may be indefinitely repeated.

One advantageous result of this system is to make it possible for a jeweler or clock repairman to inject a large amount of regulation from the front of the clock without tampering with the regulating mechanism itself. As a second advantage it is possible to correct a regulation in the wrong direction which had been injected by inadvertently moving the clock hand in the wrong direction.

3,113,417 Patented Dec. 10, 1963 Neither of these advantages is possible with the limit and lock-out systems previously discussed.

According to the specific embodiment of theinvention illustrated herein the regulating element is connected to the setting element through a low velocity drive which causes the regulating element to be driven at a pre-determined rate during the drive period followed by little or no movement of the regulating element during the nondrive motion of the mechanism. Continued rotation of the setting stem brings about a further drive relationship to cause further movement of the regulating element at the pre-determined rate and the sequence is indefinitely repeated to provide what essentially amounts to a low velocity drive between the setting element and the regulating element. The specific embodiment ofthis invention possesses the further advantage that the automatic regulating system is locked in position except when intentional drive is occurring.

It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved automatic regulator for a timepiece.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved automatic regulator for a timepiece, wherein there is no limitation on the amount of regulation which can be injected into the timepiece at any given setting of the hands but wherein the rate of movement of the regulator 'ice corresponding to a given increment of movement of the setting of the hands is non-uniform.

It is another object of the invention to provide an automatic regulator for a timepiece wherein the amount of regulation corresponding to a given increment of setting of the hands varies as the hands are set.

It is another object of the invention to provide an automatic regulator including a low velocity drive between the setting mechanism and regulating mechanism.

It is another object of the invention to provide an automatic regulator which includes a regulating mechanism which is locked at all times other than during intentional drive thereof.

It is still another object of the invention to provide an automatic regulator which has no limit on the amount of regulation which may be injected in one setting nor means to lock out the regulating mechanism for a predetermined period of time but which still provides practical insurance against the injection of excessive regulation.

These and further objects and advantages of the in vention will become more apparent upon reference to the following specification and claims and appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a clock to which an automatic regulator is connected according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation, partially in section, showing the automatic regulator of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a plane view, partially in section, of the automatic regulator of FIGURE 2; and FIGURE 4 is a graph showing the injection of regulation as a function of the correction set into the clock.

Referring to FIGURE 1 there is seen a timepiece having an hour wheel 19 meshing with a minute pinion 14 and driving an hour hand 16. The minute pinion 14 is attached by the shaft 18 to a conventional minute wheel 20 and this is adapted to be driven by a setting pinion 22. Setting pinion 22 is attached to a setting staff 24 adapted to be moved longitudinally and to be rotated by a setting knob 26. The position of the setting staff 24 and setting pinion 22 is established by a bent leaf spring generally indicated at 28 and having one arm 30 secured to a post 32 which is attached to the clock frame in any suitable manner. The setting stall 24 had a necked down portion 34 received in a slot 36 at the end of the 3 arm 30 of the leaf spring 28. The setting staff 24 may be raised upwardly against the biasing force of the leaf spring until the setting pinion 22 engages the minute wheel 20 so that the hands of the clock may be set in a conventional manner.

A double gear comprising an upper gear 40 and lower gear 42 is secured to shaft 44 journaled in the clock frame in any suitable manner which will permit axial motion of the shaft. The position of the shaft is determined by a further arm 46 of the leaf spring 28 which has a slotted end 48 which fits about a necked down portion of the shaft 44. The spring 28 determines the position of the two gears 40 and 42 in such a manner that in the rest position of the unit the hour wheel normally engages the teeth of the upper gear 40. The lower gear 42 is a full gear while the upper gear 40 has a portion 50 where the teeth are cut away. The upper gear 40 also carries a pair of diametrically oppositely placed pins 52 and 54 protruding from its upper surface. Thus, when the setting staff 24 is raised upwardly to engage the setting pinion 22 with the minute wheel 20, the leaf spring arm 46 is also raised so that the end 48 of that arm raises gears 48 and 42 until the lower gear 42 is in mesh with the teeth of the hour wheel 10. In this position the rotation of the hour wheel 10 by the setting action of the setting pinion 22 causes rotation of the gears 40 and 42 to bring about a corresponding movement of the pins 52 and 54.

It will be apparent that when the setting staff 24 is in its rest position and the upper gear 40 is in engagement with the hour wheel 10, the hour Wheel 10 will drive the upper gear until the cut away portion 50 arrives opposite the hour wheel and breaks the driving engagement.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the shaft 44 which carries the double gears 40 and 42 is received in a pillar plate 56. A regulator wheel 58 is pivoted to the pillar plate by a shaft 60 and carries a regulator arm 62 adapted to engage the hair spring of the clock in the conventional manner. An actuator arm 64 extends from the regulator wheel 58 and has an upwardly extending pin 66 attached thereto. The upper end of the pin 66 rides in a helical slot 68 in a wheel 79 fixably attached to a shaft 72 suitably mounted in the clock frame. This spiral and pin drive arrangement may be replaced by suitable gearing but is particularly advantageous because of the large reduction ratio which is accomplished.

A second wheel 74 is loosely journaled on the shaft 72 beneath the wheel 70 and a pair of clutch faces 76 and 78 are provided between the two wheels so that when the lower wheel 74 is moved upwardly a drive connection may be established therebetween. The two clutch halves are urged apart by a coil spring 79 which is mounted therebetween and nested within recesses provided in the clutch faces for this purpose. This spring normally maintains the lower wheel 74 against the upper gear 40.

The under surface of the lower wheel 74 is cut away at 80 in order to receive the pins 52 and 54 and the details of this cut away segment are illustrated in FIG- URE 3, the sectioned portion of which is taken along the line 33 in FIGURE 2. This section shows that the underside of the wheel 74 is cut away to form startype gear teeth 82 and locking posts 84 between the teeth. The exact configuration of the teeth 82 and locking posts 84 is such that when the pin 52 rotates from a position intermediate two star teeth as shown in FIG- URE 3, the lower wheel 74 is driven only until the pin 52 clears the tooth with which it was engaged. Subsequent to this the tooth moves out between adjacent locking posts 84 and the other pin 54 simultaneously moves between another pair of locking posts 84. The wheel 74 thus is driven only during a limited percentage of the rotation of the pins 52 and 54 but is locked in position at all times that drive does not occur due to the fact that the one or the other of the pins 52 or 54 is V the positions shown in FIGURE 3.

4 either in locking engagement with the star teeth 82 or with the locking posts 84. Rotation of the double gears 40 and 42 thus produces intermittent movement of the wheel 74 with the wheel remaining locked in position at all times that movement of the wheel is not occurring.

Operation of the automatic regulator is as follows:

In the rest position of the setting staff 24 the setting pinion is out of engagement with the hour wheel 10 and the hour wheel is in line with the upper gear 40.

Rotation of the hour wheel 18 has brought the cut away portion 50 of the upper gear 40 to the position shown in FIGURE 3 at which time the pins 52 and 54 are also in Spring 79 urges the lower wheel 74 against the upper surface of the gear 40 and the pin 52 maintains the wheel 74 in a locked position.

If it is now desired to set the clock, the setting knob 26 is withdrawn upwardly in FIGURE 2 thereby raising the leaf spring 28 to bring the setting pinion 22 into mesh with the hour wheel 10 to permit setting of the hands of the clock. This movement of the leaf spring 28 also raises the double gears 40 and 42 and the wheel 74 against the action of coil spring 79 until the clutch halves 76 and 78 establish a drive engagement between the wheels 74 and 70. The upward movement of the gears 40 and 42 brings the lower gear 42 into mesh with the hour wheel 10 so that rotation of the setting knob 26 causes rotation of the gears 40 and 42.

The pins 52 and 54 are driven by this rotation and cause the lower wheel 74 and clutched upper wheel 70 to rotate. Rotation of the upper wheel 70 causes a rotation of the regulating wheel 58 through the medium of the helical slot 68 and pin 66 to cause regulation of the clock. The amount of regulation is determined by the shape of the star teeth 82 and continues only during the time that the pin 52 is in engagement with the star teeth.

An example of the type of regulation which occurs is shown in FIGURE 4. Let it be assumed that the gear ratios are such that the injection of four hours of setting into the clock causes a rotation of the gears 40 and 42. Regulation then occurs during the limited period of time shown at A followed by a longer period of non-regulation B during which time the pin 52 is out of engagement with the star teeth 82. Continued rotation of the setting knob, however, brings the other pin 54 into engagement with the star teeth to cause the injection of further regulation C followed by a period of non-regulation D. This sequence is indefinitely repeated as the setting knob 26 is further rotated in the same direction. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that different ratios of periods of regulation to non-regulation and different shapes of regulating curves may readily be obtained through adjustment of the shape of the gear and locking posts.

When setting of the clock has been completed, the setting knob 26 is released and the leaf spring 28 brings the setting pinion 22 and gears 40 and 42 to the position shown in FIGURE 2. The hour wheel 10 will engage the gear 40 to return it to the position where the cut away portion 50 is opposite the hour wheel thereby placing the pin 52 in readiness for further regulation in accordance with the curve seen in the graph in FIGURE 4. The wheel 74 is locked in position at all times except when it is being moved by the pins.

By establishing the gear ratio such that the injection of a setting of 4, 8 or 12 hours is necessary to cause one regulation increment, it is virtually assured that over-regulation will not occur. That is to say, normal setting of the hands of the clock as a result of improper regulation would never approach such a large increment nor is it even probable that a child tampering with the hands of the clock would be so persistent as to continuously turn the setting knob in one direc tion an amount equal to 4, 8 or 12 hours. The regulation is more or less proportional during the time that it occurs and the actual relationship of regulation as a function of the setting of the hands can be easily controlled by the selection of the desired shape of gears. The unit permits of the intelligent introduction of large amounts of regulation through the continued rotation of the setting stem.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not re strictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing de scription, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a timepiece comprising time measuring means, time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means, setting means for setting said time indicating means, rate regulating means for regulating the rate of said time measuring means, a member engageable with said rate regulating means for driving engagement therewith, drive means engaging said member, said drive means being actuated by said setting means for providing a non-maximum non-linear adjustment of said rate regulating means, said drive means including an element engaging said member, said member and said drive means each having a plurality of surfaces, one of said member and said element having plural protrusions engageable with said plurality of surfaces of the other of said member and element in such a manner that one of said protrusions is always in driving or locking engagement with said plurality of surfaces.

2. In a timepiece comprising time measuring means, time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means, setting means for setting said time indicating means, rate regulating means for regulating the rate of said time measuring means, a member engageable with said rate regulating means for driving engagement therewith, drive means engaging said member, said drive means being actuated by said setting means for providing a non-maximum non-linear adjustment of said rate regulating means, said drive means including an element engaging said member, one of said member and said element having a plurality of teeth and locking surfaces, the other of said member and said element having plural protrusions engageable with said teeth and locking surfaces of said one of said member and element in such a manner that one of said protrusions is always in driving or locking engagement with said teeth or said surfaces.

3. In a timepiece comprising time measuring means, time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means, setting means for setting said time indicating means, rate regulating means for regulating the rate of said time measuring means, a drive mechanism engageable With said rate regulating means for effecting an unlimited adjustment of said rate regulating means as a non-linear function of adjustment of said setting means, said drive means including a pair of drivingly associated members, one of said members having a plurality of surfaces, the other of said members having plural protrustions engageable with said surfaces of said one of said members in such a manner that one of said protrusions is always in driving or locking engagement with said surfaces.

4. In a timepiece comprising time measuring means, time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means, setting means for setting said time indicating means, rate regulating means for regulating the rate of said time measuring means, a drive mechanism engageable with said rate regulating means for effecting an unlimited adjustment of said rate regulating means as a non-linear function of adjustment of said setting means, said drive means including a pair of drivingly associated members, one of said members having a plurality of surfaces, the other of said members having plural protrusions engageable with said surfaces of said one of said members in such a manner that one of said protrusions is always in driving or locking engagement with said surfaces, said surfaces being so shaped that uniform rotation of said other of said members which 'carries the said protrusions thereon produces a non-uniform rotation of said one of said members.

5. In a timepiece comprising time measuring means, time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means, setting means for setting said time indicating means, rate regulating means for regulating the rate of said time measuring means, a drive mechanism engageable with said rate regulating means for effecting an unlimited adjustment of said rate regulating means as a non-linear step function of adjustment of said setting means, said drive means including a pair of drivingly associated members, one of said members being a drive member and the other of said members being a driven member, said driven member having a plurality of surfaces, said drive member having plural protrusions engageable with surfaces said of said driven member whereby one of said protrusions is always in driving or locking engagement with said surfaces, said surfaces being so shaped that uniform rotation of the drive memger produces non-uniform rotation of the driven mem- 6. A timepiece as set out in claim 5 wherein said protrusions are parallel to the axis of rotation of said drive member.

7. A timepiece as set out in claim 6 wherein said surfaces comprise teeth and locking posts on one face of said driven member.

8. In a timepiece comprising time measuring means, time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means, setting means for setting said time indicating means to any position in its indicating range, rate regulating means for regulating the rate of said time measuring means, and drive means connectable between said setting means and said rate regulating means for adjusting said rate regulating means when said setting means is adjusted to set said time indicating means, said drive means including a cam means and an intermittent drive for transforming continuous rotary motion of said setting means to intermittent rotary motion of said cam means, and cam follower means drivingly coupled to said rate regulating means and engaging said cam means to cause intermittent adjustment of said rate regulating means as a result of continuous rotation of said setting means.

9. In a timepiece comprising time measuring means, time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means, setting means for setting said time indicating means, rate regulating means for regulating the rate of said time measuring means, a drive mechanism engageable with said rate regulating means for efiecting an unlimited adjustment of said rate regulating means as a non-linear step function of adjustment of said setting means, said drive means including a pair of drivingly associated members, one of said members having a plurality of surfaces, the other of said members having plural protrusions engageable with said surfaces of said one of said members whereby one of said protrustions is always in driving or locking engagement With said surfaces, said rate regulating means including a rotatable member adapted to be driven by said drive means, said rotatable member having a spiral cam track, and cam follower means engaging said cam track to be driven by rotation of said rotatable member to cause said non linear step function of adjustment of said rate regulating means.

10. In a timepiece comprising time measuring means,

time indicating means actuated by said time measuring means, setting means for setting said time indicating means, rate regulating means for regulating the rate of said time measuring means, a first wheel having clutch means engageable with mating clutch means in said rate regulating means for establishing a driving connection therewith, said wheel having one surface cut away to form teeth and spaced locking posts outward of said teeth, a second wheel carrying on one surface thereof plural protrusions extending parallel to the axis of rotation of said second wheel and being engageable with said teeth and locking posts to drive said first wheel an unlimited non-uniform angular distance on uniform rotation of said second wheel and to lock said first wheel against rotation at all times except when it is being driven by said second wheel, and means for rotating said second Wheel as a non-linear function of adjustment of said setting means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 300,871 Kaiser June 24, 1881 2,789,414 Andrews Apr. 23, 1957 0 2,858,029 Rabinow Oct. 28, 1958 2,941,349 Lux June 21, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 116,539 Great Britain June 14, 1918 

8. IN A TIMEPIECE COMPRISING TIME MEASURING MEANS, TIME INDICATING MEANS ACTUATED BY SAID TIME MEASURING MEANS, SETTING MEANS FOR SETTING SAID TIME INDICATING MEANS TO ANY POSITION IN ITS INDICATING RANGE, RATE REGULATING MEANS FOR REGULATING THE RATE OF SAID TIME MEASURING MEANS, AND DRIVE MEANS CONNECTABLE BETWEEN SAID SETTING MEANS AND SAID RATE REGULATING MEANS FOR ADJUSTING SAID RATE REGULATING MEANS WHEN SAID SETTING MEANS IS ADJUSTED TO SET SAID TIME INDICATING MEANS, SAID DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING A CAM MEANS AND AN INTERMITTENT DRIVE FOR TRANSFORMING CONTINUOUS ROTARY MOTION OF SAID SETTING MEANS TO INTERMITTENT ROTARY MOTION OF SAID CAM MEANS, AND CAM FOLLOWER MEANS DRIVINGLY COUPLED TO SAID RATE REGULATING MEANS AND ENGAGING SAID CAM MEANS TO CAUSE INTERMITTENT ADJUSTMENT OF SAID RATE REGULATING MEANS AS A RESULT OF CONTINUOUS ROTATION OF SAID SETTING MEANS. 